‘What connects me to traditional music is love…’ Originally published on Global Voices Dunja Bahtijarević is a poet, singer and translator. She performs traditional songs and explores musical contexts that breathe new life into them. Photo: Lav Turski via Balkan Diskurs, used with permission. This article by Bojana Radić was originally published by the Post-Conflict Research Center on Balkan Diskurs and within the first edition of MIR Magazine. MIR, which means ‘peace’ in Bosnian is an annual publication and platform for young inventive people. An edited version has been ..read more

Indonesian military forces were recorded torturing a West Papuan man Originally published on Global Voices Indonesian military forces during a parade in 2019. Image via Wikimedia Commons. CC0 1.0 DEED. The original version of this post was written by Girard Lopez and published in New Bloom on April 16, 2023. The following edited version is published on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement. In early March 2024, the Indonesian internet and its online periphery would be rocked by a shocking video: A Papuan native seemingly detained in a bucket of water and being punched excessive ..read more

Efforts to seek justice for lead poisoned victims were unsuccessful Originally published on Global Voices Entrance to the former Kabwe mine. Photo by The Colonist Report, used with permission. This story was written by Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi and originally published by The Colonist Report Africa. A shortened version is republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement. Six years ago, Mumbi Derrick’s twin daughters, were tested positive for lead poisoning. He was devastated about the news, but said the only support he got was counselling from the government. He sa ..read more

Police violence, fist fights, and international criticism had no impact Originally published on Global Voices Collage by Arzu Geybullayeva. Photos courtesy of OC Media. Used with permission.  Thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets to protest the controversial foreign agent bill tabled last year but re-introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream Party on April 3, 2024. Pundits say the Georgian Dream Party is steadily derailing their country's path to European Union accession. After three days of large-scale protests and domestic and international criticism, the draft bill passed th ..read more

‘Unforgettable times’ Originally published on Global Voices Brian Lara in Manchester, England, April 2006. Photo by Georgia Popplewell, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED). Thirty years ago, at about a quarter to noon on April 18 1994, young Trinidadian cricketer Brian Lara, quickly garnering a reputation for his skill as a left-handed batsman, was in the crease at the Antigua Recreation Ground. The West Indies were playing a Test series against England. Chris Lewis bowled short, and with one whooping crack of his bat, Lara broke Sir Garfield Sobers’ record of the most runs in a Test match — 365 against ..read more

L’Office du Jèrriais will be managing the @EuroDigitalLang rotating X account Originally published on Global Voices Photo provided by L’Office du Jèrriais and used with permission. Europe’s linguistic diversity is increasingly reflected in online spaces, where regional and minority language speakers and their communities leverage digital tools and media to preserve, promote, and revitalize their language heritage. In this spirit, Rising Voices’ online campaign @EuroDigitalLang has been curating a rotating X (formerly Twitter) account. Here, language activists and advocates narrate their pers ..read more

Iranian actress Maryam Palizban's ‘enough is enough’ moment Originally published on Global Voices   Maryam Palizban. Photo by Yana Kaziulia, used with permission. This story is part of a series called “Portraits of exile” that delves into the experiences of Iranian women in the diaspora as they pursue freedom and showcase their resilience. The story comes as a commemoration of the tragic passing of Mahsa Jina Amini, a Kurdish woman who was killed at the age of 22 at the hands of the morality police for not fully covering her hair. This incident ignited widespread pro ..read more

The Talipot Palm has the largest inflorescence in the world Originally published on Global Voices The flowering Talipot Palm at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Port of Spain, Trinidad, April 15, 2024. Photo by Janine Mendes-Franco, used with permission. On the southern perimeter of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Port of Spain, Trinidad, a palm tree is blossoming — but it's not just any ordinary tree. It's the flowering Talipot Palm (Corypha umbraculifera), known for having the largest inflorescence in the world. A bigger natural cluster of flowers on a stem you'll never see. Native to easter ..read more

German police shut down pro-Palestinian conference to silence solidarity Originally published on Global Voices The German police shut down a pro-Palestinian conference in Berlin, citing the risk that one of the speakers invited might make anti-Semitic comments or incite violence. Screenshot from a New York Times video. Fair use. This article was originally published in the New Arab on April 16, 2024. It was written by Dima Hamdan, a Palestinian journalist based in Berlin. She is the manager of the Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network. The article is republished in Global Voices as par ..read more

Checks at every step contradict the ‘prosperous region’ narrative Originally published on Global Voices Urumqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Screenshot from the video ‘Beautiful Xinjiang, China | Muslim Area | Urumqi City | A Paradise on Earth’ from EaziLine International YouTube channel. Fair use. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in western China became known to the world through reports about the so-called “re-education camps,” in which the authorities held hundreds of thousands of local residents. Uyghurs, Kazakhs and representatives of other Turk ..read more